365 Days
by EdwardXBells4ever
Summary: Bella's a broken girl in Seattle. Edward is in town on a business trip for the summer from Boston. Will something spark between them that will keep them going? Or will they both crash and burn in the end? A/H. Canon Pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n- So, this is a story I've had brewing in my mind. I'm hoping that with starting a new story, people will support me. I enjoy constructive criticism, don't forget that :). I'm in need of a beta. So, sorry if these chapters have some errors. Reviews will keep this story going.**

Chapter One – Only the Beginning

"Mary Alice Brandon!" Alice hated when people called her by her full name. But it got her attention. She glowered in my direction. "I'm twenty-two years old. I don't need to find my soul-mate yet."

Alice seemed to be persistent on me finding my soul-mate. Since her and Rosalie, my best friends, had found theirs, they thought it was only fair that I was happy too. The difference is that Rose and Alice are both twenty-three. Jasper, Alice's fiancé and Rosalie's brother, is 27 and Emmett, Rose's husband is 30.

Since they're all obviously older than I am, it made sense that they found who they were 'destined' to be with.

I just didn't believe that I would find someone.

It's not my fault. What is the problem, then? The problem is in today's society. Single men are afraid of committing to a single mother.

I don't like to talk about it too much, but I was raped when I was 16. It brings back memories and I feel vulnerable when someone brings it up or asks about it. The result? A baby girl. Her name is Lillian Grace.

"Bella, I don't care what you say. You're going out with me tonight. I'm your wing-woman. Deal with it." Once Alice made up her mind, there was no talking her out of it.

"What about Lily?" She was my escape-goat most of the time.

"I've talking to Rose and Emmett about this. They said they'd come over and watch. They agree with me. You need to get out more often." Alice was looking through my closet for an outfit.

Looks like I was going out tonight.

Fuck. My. Life.

As I dressed in the light blue jeans and black tank-top, there was a knock on my door

Of course, Rosalie came into the master bedroom of the two bedroom apartment.

"Bella!" She wrapped me in a hug. "I'm so happy you're going out tonight."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like I have a choice."

She laughed, almost like an Emmett laugh. She looked me up and down. "You look amazing. Just one little touch and you'll be perfect."

She pulled the bun out of my hair and let it cascade over my shoulders. "Wow." She muttered.

I looked in the mirror and took in my appearance.

Alice had applied minimal make-up; little eyeliner on my bottom eyelid and mascara on the top. The black tank-top and jeans accentuated the curves of my body, making it look flawless, and the way my hair fell in loose curls down to the middle of my back really did make everything perfect.

Lily's giggles pulled me back to reality.

Rose and I walked to the living room and Emmett was doing the 'airplane' with my daughter.

"Em, be careful, please." I tried to be stern about it. But let's face it, I'm not that kind of girl.

"Bells!" No one else really called me that. I remember when he used to be interested in me. Then he met Rosalie, and well, everything progressed with them since. "You look.." Emmett was trying to find the right word to say.

"Sexy!" My daughters voice. What the fuck?

I gasped. "Lillian, where did you hear that word?"

"Uncle Emmy says it about Aunt Rose all the time." Rosalie was blushing. And it takes a lot to fucking make that girl blush.

I glowered toward Emmett whose face held a very cheesy smile. Him and Rose were so in love still. It gave me hope.

I kneeled down to my daughter's height and hugged her tightly. "Momma's going out for a little bit tonight." I whispered in her ear. "Uncle Em and Aunt Rose will stay here with you."

Lily looked me in the eye. Every asset of hers was exactly like mine and I was grateful that I never got to see the man who raped me, for I probably wouldn't be able to look at my daughter the same way. Her voice was almost like bells though. "Kay. I love you, mommy."

I hated leaving her. She was my security blanket. "I love you too, baby." I kissed her nose and stood up.

I looked over at Emmett and he had a handful of chocolate chips from my kitchen. "Lily," I called. She looked up at me with doe eyes. "Make sure Uncle Em behaves." Emmett laughed. Lily grinned and nodded.

Alice pulled me out of the house and we were on our way to our favorite club: Equinox.

"Alice!" That was probably the tenth time I've called her name but the music was so loud that my ears were ringing.

Finally, she heard me and looked over. "What?" She yelled. Boys were flirting with her. She was flirting back. She loved attention and I think that's why she was unconditionally in love with Jasper. He didn't mind always having to compliment her. He liked it I guess.

"We have to get home." I looked at the clock on the wall. I've been doing this every three minutes since we got here.

"Oh Bella. Come on. The night's just started. Loosen up a little bit." It was 10:30. We've already been here for two hours. Obviously I wasn't going to meet my soul-mate tonight.

The waitress delivered two more shots of Patron and I downed them both quickly. I needed more alcohol in my system if I was going to survive this night from hell.

Just then, Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leopard came on and Alice squealed. "Bella! This is our song! We have to dance."

The story behind our song isn't long. Every weekend when we were in college together, we'd go out to clubs. Every night, this song was on and we'd dance together.

Simple, right?

I groaned as she pulled me to the dance floor, even though the Patron was starting to do its magic.

Alice was my best friend. We definitely didn't have a problem dancing dirty with each other. We've known each other since my second year in high school, her third. We went to the same college. She graduated last year…

But I digress.

Half way through the song, her petite body was switched with that of a man's. And I got goose bumps on my skin from his touch.

What's going on?

I turned around and I was met with a pair of piercing, emerald green eyes. All the air in my lungs left. "Fuck. Me." I muttered.

"Gladly." He countered.

I blushed. I pulled myself out of his arms. "I… I'm sorry." I stuttered. I turned my head to look for Alice.

I spotted her pixie hair-do and started after her.

This guy pulled on my hand. "Wait. Before you go, can I get your number?"

He was pulling out his cell phone. I bit my lip.

Did I want him to have my phone number?

Fuck yes.

More importantly, did I want him to know my name?

Yes…

Right?

Nonetheless, I ended up giving him my number.

And where the fuck did Alice go now?

**A/n- I have big expectations for this story. I hope you'll stick with me on it! I don't necessarily have a specific updating schedule, but I'll try to have a chapter out every week. They should end up getting longer as we go along. Review please?**


	2. Day 1 & Day 2

**A/n- Thank you, my dear reviewers. I realize that I had this under Spanish at first. Thanks for making me change it :). **

Chapter 2—Day 1 & Day 2

_Edward's Point Of View_

I fucking hated the Seattle area. I liked living in Boston. It was sunny and warm in the summer. But, my father neglected to acknowledge my hate when he sent me where.

So here I am. In Seattle, Washington on a business trip. My father hates (anyone else see the irony there?) going on out of state business trips.

Hi. I'm Edward Cullen and I'm the Vice President of Cullen Inc., Law Branch. Yeah, it's pretty fucking legit.

I'm 24 years old. I did my 8 years of college for law at Harvard… in 6. How? I'm insane and took classes over summers, nights, and even when I was still in high school.

That makes me a fucking genius. But trust me. I'm anything but that.

Oh, and my favorite cuss word is fuck.

My father, who happens to be Carlisle, is the president of Cullen Inc. Like he could ever get fired? He's the shit. To other people, at least.

To me, he's an ass.

But I digress.

I'm glad to be away from him. But, Seattle is way too rainy for me. God save me.

I've been in and out of meetings all day long. Yeah, and I was hoping they wouldn't need me often.

So, here I am, just trying to get back to my hotel and sleep for-fucking-ever.

Yeah, did I mention that my great-grandfather owned a chain of hotels? When my father dies, I'll be rich…-er than I already am. Inheritance is my best friend.

Well, walking down this street, I see this club. They're playing an 80's song.

I look up at the sing. Equinox. Could be promising.

Right?

I walk in and I'm instantly loving my decision. There's this girl, her long, dark hair falling in loose curls, dancing with a short pixie woman. Her black hair just made me surer she was a fairy.

I laughed at how ridiculous that thought was.

But this woman. With the loose curls. Made my dick twitch.

I was in the club for about thirty seconds when I knew I needed to dance with her. I went over to her and her friend. Her friend noticed me and smiled mischievously.

She left. And I took that as the okay to dance with her.

Her warm, soft skin against mine almost had me dizzy.

What the fuck was that about? What I was looking for, was someone to keep me occupied the next couple months. I didn't want to have anything serious.

This girl would be perfect for that.

When she turned around, her big, brown doe eyes stared into me. Almost as if she was searching for something.

She was mumbling but the only thing I caught were the words fuck, and me.

"Gladly." I said before I could put the filter on my mouth.

Shit. I probably just ruined everything.

She giggled and blushed a little bit. I was so going to take this girl back to my hotel room tonight.

She stuttered something but I couldn't really hear because the music was so loud. Then she looked like she was lost, looking around and biting her lip.

That got me. My dick was hard and I needed a release; specifically from this beauty in front of me.

She started to leave but I pulled her hand so she stayed a little bit longer. But, I knew I wasn't going to be able to take her back. For some reason, all of a sudden, I didn't want her to just be another girl.

"Wait. Before you go, can I have your number?" I needed… something to know this night was actually happening.

She contemplated for a few seconds while I pulled out my phone. She was biting her lip… again.

"555-0121. And my name's Bella." God. Her voice was almost like music. Why can't I just have her right now?

Then, just like that, she was gone. Out the door. I wonder if she was looking for her friend.

I stayed for a few minutes longer. Trying to figure out what I was going to do now. No way I would be able sleep tonight.

My fucking alarm clock should be thrown against the wall.

It was Saturday and I had to go to a meeting.

Fuck.

My.

Life.

Literally.

My thoughts wander to last night. And I swear, a girly grin appears on my face.

Damn. I'm only here for the summer. I need to get over this little infatuation. Could I even call it that yet? I met the girl last night.

A crush?

Fuck that. I never let things get that far.

In bed one night, never talk to them again.

Yeah, I'm a dick.

But think about it from my point of view. I'm a lawyer. V.P. of the family's law firm. I don't have time for relationships or stupid little crushes.

Right?

I rolled out of bed at that moment and said fuck the shower today.

It's not like I'd see this Bella girl anyways.

Fucking flips.

Yeah. I let it happen.

A button up white shirt, black slacks, a swipe of deodorant under each armpit, and a brush of the teeth—I was ready to go.

The streets in Seattle are horrific. Did you know that?

It took me 25 minutes to get to a resort where we were having a meeting in today. Fucking terrible. And, I was 5 minutes late. Good thing that I'm the one that starts the meeting.

I walk in, and fuck me sideways.

I see those loose curls again and I'm brought back to last night.

Why?

Because I…

I'm not even going to say it.

That's accepting that it's true. And I'm not ready for that.

Why the fuck is she here?

And why did I care?

A guy known as Jacob Black, who everyone calls Jake, stands up.

Do I call him, Jake? No.

Why you ask? Because it's un-fucking-professional.

"This is Isabella Swan." He starts.

"But please, just Bella." She presents herself so well. That's fucking… Yeah.

"She's our newest intern at Black and Calhoun Industries. And she's only 22 years old." Jacob starts clapping. And everyone does. I clap… to be nice.

She only smiles. "Now," Jacob's voice is so fucking annoying. "I want to get down to business."

I tune everyone out. I stare at Bella until she finally looks over at me. I smirk. Yeah, we all know I'm cocky.

And then just like that, the meeting was over. And fuck if I wasn't happy about it.

And now was my chance.

I caught the elevator that Bella was also in. And lucky for us, we were alone.

"So. I have a question for you." Best way to do it, right? Come right out and do it?

RIGHT?

"And that is?" She lifted her right eyebrow. Fucking. Sexy.

I grabbed her shoulders and made her face me.

I moved one hand to brush the hair hanging in her face, behind her ear.

I kissed her lips slowly. Letting them move together.

When we broke apart, I asked my question. "Dinner, tomorrow night?"

She just nodded as the doors opened at she walked out.

Fucking. Butterflies.

**A/n- Next chapter – Bella's point of view, Day 3 and Day 4. Reviews are one hundred percent encouraging, even if they are constructive. Or, telling me you hate it. Please. Review :).**


	3. Day 3

**A/n – My disclaimer is on my profile, if you were wondering. :). So I really enjoy writing this story so far. Let me know if you enjoy reading it. And I lied to you last chapter. This day is super long, so it's only day 3. :).**

Chapter 3—Day 3

_Bella's Point of View._

It was Sunday. Finally. I mean seriously. The past week, I've been busy as shit. And well, I needed a day to recollect myself. And spend with my child. Not to mention dinner tonight with a Sex God.

Already I could feel my panties getting wet. _Damn. I need an ice cold shower… now._

I looked at my clock and it was only seven in the morning. No need to wake up my child yet.

The adjoining bathroom in the 'master bedroom' was nice. I liked being secluded when I was taking a shower. And, showers were my thinking times. And God strike me dead if I didn't need time to think.

See that? I'm still alive.

I stripped out of my ratty old t-shirt and sweats. Yeah, those were my pajamas. Don't judge. It's not like I'm seeing anyone. I don't need to dress sexy. Yet.

Okay, so maybe I wasn't going to take a cold shower, but a steaming hot one. I was cold as shit.

I let the water cascade over my shoulders.

My hands roamed in random paths along my body. I didn't really need a shower this morning since I always take them at night. But to me, this was definitely needed.

My core was on fire. A flash of Mr. Perfect's face entered my mind and it stayed there.

My right hand traveled down my stomach and stopped right at my entrance. I needed something. Preferably Edward in my shower with water dripping down what I could only imagine was a perfectly toned chest.

I let my pointer finger enter me. I slowly pumped it in and out. My left hand was taking care of Frenchie. Yeah. I named my clit. But I loved it. And I loved the movie Grease so I used one of the names from that movie.

A little much? I didn't think so. But you may think differently.

The bronze haired beauty image in my head opened his mouth. His tongue licking his lips. Oh how I'd like those lips and that tongue in other places.

Yup. I was done for.

I finished up my shower quickly and dressed in nice clothes for a morning of church.

As I walked out of my room, I heard talking. I really regretted giving Alice a key to this apartment.

My daughter was sitting at the table with a big pile of pancakes in front of her. Alice was going to make my daughter fat.

Remind me why I wanted her to be the Godmother of my child, please.

"Lillian, don't eat all of those… please." It was an exasperated plea. She just looked at me and smiled.

I'm going to admit it... That smile could get me to let her do anything. I turned and walked toward the kitchen where Alice was currently cooking more pancakes and talking on the phone.

"I'm going to laugh when you drop your phone in the batter." I smirked. She fucking hated me sometimes. Just like I hated her when she fed my daughter pounds of sugar in the morning.

"Bye, Jasper. I'll see you soon." Alice hung up her phone. "You know, Bella, you should lighten up a little bit. You're 22 years old. Let your daughter live a childhood."

"Alice, you know that both my parents ended up having diabetes. I'm not letting that happen to my child. Let alone myself." I took an apple from the fridge.

Both my parents died. In a car accident. Yeah, did I tell you I went through a tough life my teenage years? I try not to think about my past life, because well, it puts me in a shitty mood. I've tried to move on from it.

I digress and move on.

"Come on, Lily. Let's get you dress for a day at church." I dressed her in her favorite pink dress. Like I said, I'm a sucker for that smile of hers. And she wanted to wear it.

Rose, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, my child and I all carpooled to service, every Sunday.

The manager of the services thought it would be a good idea to have us wear nametags every week, in case new people showed up.

So here I am, grabbing our nametags when, none other than the Edward Cullen and writes his name on one of those "Hello, my name is.." nametags. Looking fucking sexy while he does it. Dirty thoughts at church. I'm one hundred percent going to hell.

I didn't care.

He stands straight up again. And I try to hide my face. I don't want him to see me. Of course, because I'm Isabella Swan, my plan doesn't work.

He walks toward me. And my vagina is on fire. For the second time in 3 hours. This guy needs to get the fuck out of Seattle before I jump him. And become a crazed bitch. Oh wait, that's already happened. What the hell is wrong with me? I've known him for a matter of three days.

"Fancy meeting you here, miss Swan." Fuck me if my panties didn't get wet.

"Well hello, Mr. Cullen." I tried to be formal. I'm in way too deep. I needed to turn back now. Right? Before I get any more involved?

He looked in my hands, reading the nametags. "Have a sister you need to tell me about?" His mouth twitched up into a smile. He was just as much of a pervert as I was… in a church for crying out loud.

I just smiled a little bit and walked away. Didn't need to know shit about my personal life.

"Bella, wait!" He walked after me. "You didn't answer my question."

"Fine. You want to know? Follow me." I kept walking. He was making me mad. Couldn't he just… not prod into my life? I wish he would just disappear forever.

We got to my group of friends and I knelt down and gave my daughter a kiss on the forehead. Without saying anything to Edward, I put the nametag on her. I stood back up and fixed the crinkles in my shirt. "Get it now?" I glared in his direction.

I was considering cancelling the date I had tonight with this guy.

His beautiful green eyes were wide. And his full, pink lips were parted. I wanted to kiss him… and leave at the same time. Move away from Seattle so I would never be in a situation like this again.

I grabbed Lily's hand and walked away from Edward and into the sanctuary.

My friends followed after me asking questions like "Who the heck was that?" and "What is going on?" I tried my hardest to ignore them.

And the service went by quickly. They had a guest speaker and I was happy that Sunday School wasn't going on. My daughter was my safety blanket. Pretty sad, I know.

After service, I didn't want to stay and mingle. I wanted to get home. I wanted to cancel this date. I wanted to lay in bed forever. And, I needed to calm down. Obviously I was in way over my head. I was freaking out. He's the one that wanted to know. And I did it in the best way I could.

Right?

And he deserved to know before we got serious… right?

I should have introduced him. I was a bitch. Frankly, though, that was the last thing on my mind.

I gently tossed my phone and purse onto the couch and told Lillian to go upstairs and get changed.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed two ibuprofen. I had a killer headache.

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. One o' clock. Plenty of time to come up with a reason to cancel this date. And that thought left my mind as quickly as it entered as my phone vibrated.

'1 New Text Message'

I should just ignore it. Yeah?

Instead of listening to the voice of reason, I opened it. What can I say? I was a rebel.

_I hope we're still on for tonight._

_-Edward_

Dammit. Now I had to go. Because he wanted me there. Me. Of all people in the Seattle area, he wanted me. What the fuck was wrong with this guy?

I texted him back the directions to my apartment and the number. This, was bound to be interesting.

Somehow, Alice managed to get me to tell her what was going on with this Edward Cullen guy and I. Not willingly on my part, by the way. She tortured me. Blackmail, shopping… you name it and she used it as bait to get me to tell her.

So I told her the story. And she confessed… These exact words. "I was there that night at the club, Bella. I saw him. He wanted to dance with you. I let him. He was cute. And I knew you'd hit it off."

Obviously she was wrong… well, right I guess. Considering what we were currently doing.

Yup, another evening of Bella dress-up.

I begged her to keep it simple. And to my surprise, she complied. Short black dress, black flats, and no make-up. She even let me put my hair into a pony-tail. Usually she was first-date-crazy—always making sure we looked perfect and not a hair was out of place. I loved her, but she's overbearing.

Again, a look at the clock, and my stomach did flips. I was surprised at myself for telling myself to go out with him tonight.

And there's a knock on the door. I literally had to sit on my bed for three seconds before I could get up and answer the door. Alice scowled at me when I sat down. "Go open the door. Right. Now."

Shit. She's been my best friend forever. Yet, she still scared me to death.

I opened the door and there he was, standing in the hallway, looking absolutely amazing, as always. I'm not ashamed to say I checked him out, starting at his feet. Black dress shoes. _Impressive. _Black jeans and a red button up shirt that was rolled up to his elbows. It made his hair pop, so that's what I looked at next. Its usual disarray was making me bite my lip. And God strike me dead if his face wasn't perfect.

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to straighten it out. I'm glad it didn't work. This look fit him.

"Edward." I said, trying not to show how breathless he made me.

He smirked. "Bella." His voice cracked. I laughed… hard. He coughed before speaking again. "You look…" Yeah. The second guy I made speechless in two days. Point for Bella! "Striking."

That was a new one. He gets a point, for making me blush. "Thanks. You aren't half bad yourself." I was joking. He was a fucking sex god. Always.

"Bye Alice. Take care of Lillian. I'll see you when I get home." My eyes never left Edward's as I said that goodbye. I thought it might be a sin to do so.

My fucking God. Edward linked my arm through his and I was glad my apartment was on the first floor. I don't think I'd be able handle being in an elevator with him. Close proximity plus my current state of mind would equal Alice and Lily getting kicked out of my apartment for the night.

Yeah. He has that power over me.

Everything he did was gentlemanly. Opening the door leading outside and opening the door to the passenger side of his car.

And we were off. I didn't know where we were going. But I didn't really care.

I'm not going to lie. The silence was a little bit awkward. I think Edward noticed, because he broke it. "So, Bella, tell me a little bit about yourself."

I shrugged. I wasn't about to spill my whole life story to this guy. Yet. This was only our first date. "I like to read… when I have the time. I'm still going to school to get my masters in law at University of Washington. But, most of my free time is spent with my daughter and my friends." There really wasn't much to say about me. I was ordinary.

"That's intriguing." He smiled in my direction.

He was being sarcastic. "I know. I'm a boring person." A weight came crashing down on my chest. I needed to tell him about me. My life and what happened.

"I can't help but notice that you're what.. 20? And you have a daughter that's six? How did that happen?" I wasn't going to answer that.

"I'm 22, thanks. And well, the story behind Lily is long." I left it at that. Hopefully he'd take the hint.

"Alright. We'll save that for another time then." The awkward silence was back.

_If there was another time._

"We're here, by the way." I looked up to see what he was talking about. _L'Astrance._ Ask me what the fuck that meant and I'd give you a bullshit answer. I didn't know anything about speaking the French language.

We were escorted to a table near a window. I liked it.

"Anything to drink?" Our waitress asked us. I'm glad she realized that Edward and I were on a date… together. She wasn't trying to flirt. Waitresses were the biggest sluts around… in my opinion.

"A bottle of your finest wine." I looked at Edward in disbelief.

Does he have a mental disorder? This is our first date. We didn't need anything special. And I was about 99 percent sure to even get a reservation for this place, you had to pay 100 dollars.

I ignored him for a couple minutes, trying to be occupied with my menu. Every few seconds I'd look over my menu, only to get caught. And each time, a grin appeared on Edward's face. I wanted to smack him. So bad.

"What looks interesting, Bella?" He cocked his eyebrows.

Smug bastard.

"Eh." Was my only reply. Now, I was pretty sure I had the mental disorder.

I went with the cheapest item on the menu. I don't even know what it was. But I didn't want Edward to pay a lot. On a dinner. For our first date.

I was half tempted to pay for my dinner.

"So, I told you about myself. Can I know some things about you?" I took a sip of my wine after I asked the question.

"Well, to be honest, I hate the Seattle area." He shrugged. "But some things have caught my once or twice." He winked at me. I blushed.

"So, you don't live around here?" Great. He wasn't looking for anything serious. I knew this was going to be problematic.

"I'm from Boston. I'm the V.P. of Cullen Inc. over there." His face fell. Knowing that he'd have to go back.

Fuck me a hundred times over. I shouldn't have agreed to go out with him.

I didn't push for anything. This obviously wasn't going to go anywhere. So, the rest of dinner, we made small talk. About my classes, the classes he took and how he got out of college so early.

I hate my life.

The ride home was completely silent. I didn't even care that it was awkward. I was in a bad mood that I got my hopes up about this Edward guy. I had only set myself up for disappointment.

Once we got to the apartment complex, Edward got out of the car to open my door. I beat him to it and started toward the building without even a goodbye.

"Wait, Bella." He was running after me and fucking butterflies were in my stomach. My eyes were tearing up. I didn't turn to face him. "I wanted to say thank you for letting me take you to dinner."

I nodded, still not looking at him. "Can I call you in the morning?" His voice was hopeful.

I shook my head. "Don't bother."

I got to my apartment door and took a chance to look out the main door of the building. It had started raining and Edward was still standing there. His face looked pained. I sighed and opened the door.

I was a fucking idiot.

**A/n – Yeah. Longest chapter I have EVER written. Who feels for both Edward and Bella in this situation? –raises hand- I know I do!**

**I'll have the next chapter posted soon. I might skip over a couple days. Who wants to hear about Bella and Edward mourning over each other… right?**

**Reviews make me happy and they encourage me to write fast :D.**


	4. Days 4 & 5 & 6

**A/n – Super short chapter. But worth it. Needs to keep the story going. I'll have the next chapter up this weekend.**

Chapter 4—Days 4&5&6

_Edward's Point of View_

I don't know what I did. But I fucking hated not having contact with Bella. She didn't answer her phone when I called or my texts.

What do I do?

**A/n – Told you. It's very short. :P**

**Reviews are still encouraging.**


	5. Day 7

**A/n- Yeah, I know. I failed at the update. But in my defense, I was super busy. And I know a lot of authors lie about that, but fellow readers, trust me. I'm not lying. Well, this update is a short one. But, the next one should be up tomorrow. Happy day, right?**

Chapter 5 – Day 7

_Bella's point of view_

He didn't control my emotions, right?

I stopped this _thing_ before either of us could develop feelings, right?

Oh, who the hell was I kidding? Alice was right. For the past three days she's been telling me the same thing over and over.

Oh! And here she goes again. "Bella, come on. He's here until August. It's the end of May. Let yourself live a little."

"What if I don't want to?" Of course I wanted to. He's a fucking Sex God… If I haven't mentioned that before.

"You've been a ghost ever since I met you. I know what you went through. I mean, every once in a while I see you lighten up. But you guard yourself even still, then go right back to being in a little shell that consists of you and your daughter. I want you to live." Her voice was stern. Her face showed worry.

So now, I make a promise to myself. Since Edward makes me feel good, I'll be his friend for the summer…

Nothing more.

**A/n- Of course... Reviews are encouraging.**


	6. Days 8 & 9

**A/n- Yup. Another update. I promised. And it's long. And I got it done in one day. So be proud.**

**Song inspiration for this chapter – **

Chapter 6 – Day 8 & Day 9

_Bella's point of view_

My daughter's last day of the first grade was today. Where the hell did time go?

It was Friday, and I was feeling good.

I walked out into the kitchen and started making French toast. My daughter would be up soon, and well, she liked to eat first thing.

I thought back to last night's revelation. I felt great about the decision I made. I would be Edward's friend and not let anything progress from there. I could do that.

I heard the sound of little feet walk into the kitchen. "Momma?" Her voice was just as small as her footsteps.

"Mornin, baby." A smile spread across my face as I put a piece of French toast on the table for her.

She rubbed her eyes lightly then she smiled a toothy smile. Her front two teeth were starting to loosen up. Where the hell did time go? "Guess what today is, momma."

I shrugged, playing along with her. "I dunno, Sweetheart. What?"

"The last day of school!" She was excited. She had been excited for quite a while.

I smiled and sat down next to her. "Now, Lily. Just because it's the last day of school doesn't mean you need to misbehave, ya hear?"

She rolled her eyes. "Momma, I'm six. You don't need to worry." She didn't even know the half of it. She shoved a big bite of French toast in her mouth. I shook my head. She's too damn cute for her own good.

Lily got up and put her dishes in the sink and washed them off. Yeah, I knew how to raise a child.

After she got ready and was on her way to school, I decided I should get back into my gym routine. While I never really went more than twice a week, I figured that I needed to start doing _something_ again.

I put on my yoga pants, a light pink tank top, and a jacket. It wasn't raining… yet. But I had faith that a jacket was all I was going to need.

My warm up was the walk to the gym. I didn't have a car because well, let's face it. Why the hell would I need one in Seattle, right?

I looked at the clock when I got in the gym. 9:33. Perfect. Yoga started at 10. I'd have time to do a little work on lifting weights.

What? Girls do it too.

It was difficult at first. I had to take twenty pounds off my old maximum because I hadn't been here in a while. Yeah, pathetic I know. And a layer of sweat was forming on my forehead after fifteen minutes. I bet I looked attractive.

I gave up on the weights; my arms felt like Jello… in the middle of summer.

I chose to sit on the bench until yoga started. This is why I came to the gym in the first place. They had the best class in a 50 mile radius, and I was in walking distance.

I heard the front door of the facility open and squeak shut.

Everything kind of got better… and worse at the same time. Bronze hair, piercing green eyes, and a fuck-me—half naked—body stood in front of me.

_Edward's point of view_

I walked into the gym and was completely regretting my choice of gym. My mind was wandering though. She looked out of breath. And well… fucking sexy in those yoga pants—even if she was sitting down. Her right leg was crossed over her left and I wanted to run my hand up and down the curve of her calf over and over again.

"Ah, Bella. Fancy… umm… meeting you here?" What the fuck is wrong with my brain.

She just stared at me, not blinking. After a couple seconds though, she closed her mouth and made her eyes meet mine.

I'd be lying if my ego didn't boost a little bit at the fact that I made her speechless.

"How.." Her voice was a whisper. She cleared her throat. "How is it that you can walk outside with only shorts on?" Her eyes were avoiding my body. They were darting around the room, looking at nothing. It was cute.

I sat down next to her. "Well, that's the thing, Bella. I'm a man. Different from a boy, might I add—" She scoffed but I continued. "We have a high tolerance for the cold." I shrugged. If she must know, I was fucking freezing my balls off. "But, my I ask why you're just sitting here?"

"Yeah, you can." She didn't continue.

"Well… Am I going to get an answer?" That irritated me a little bit.

"Yoga class starts in five minutes." She gestured to the clock. "And I should go."

I only nodded; the thought of her bent over and that ass in those pants. Yeah, I was done for. "I should go too." _Way to go, Cullen. That wasn't awkward at all._

She stood up. "Bye, Edward." She's walking away. I tried to force myself not to look at her ass but obviously I didn't have enough willpower.

Ah, it was shaking. And my dick was twitching. Well, no workout for me today. I looked outside. It was raining. My luck, right?

The rest of the day consisted of nothing. And I went to bed, thinking about Bella Swan and her yoga pants.

I woke up to my alarm. Fucking Saturday and another meeting this early? I think I'm skipping this one. Sounds good, right?

Today was a good day to go to the park. Maybe I'd find someone to take my mind off of Bella. Yeah, right. But it was worth a shot.

The walk wasn't bad. I've walked further places before.

And my plan for this trip totally backfired. There Bella was, with her daughter and her friends. Having a fucking picnic. I couldn't go over there and talk to her when she was with them, right?

I mean, I haven't exactly made the best impression on them. I didn't even introduce myself when I first saw them at church. And when I picked her up for our date.

And I'm fucking babbling. What the hell did this girl do to me?

I went against my better judgment and walked up to her. "Bella." I smiled, genuine. Wasn't fake.

"Edward." She looked surprised. But happy. "What brings you to the park today? Yesterday it was the gym. What, are you stalking me or something?"

A lighthearted joke. Cute. "Well, you know. I can never seem to get enough of your long and luscious hair." Why the hell did I just say that?

She blushed. And I wanted to kiss her. "Sit down, Edward. I'd like to introduce you to my friends."

I sat next to her daughter. Hopefully that wasn't too much of a creeper move. She started with the short pixie woman. "That's Alice and to her right is Jasper, her fiancé."

"How do ya do?" Southern accent. I suddenly wanted to know why he chose Seattle of all places to reside.

"Next to him is Rosalie, his sister. The big guy is Emmett, Rose's husband. They're probably the cutest married couple ever." She smiled when the little rugrat—who I assumed to be her daughter—sat in her lap. "And this little one is Lillian. The light of my life." Bella kissed the top of her daughter's head. Lillian giggled. I think I just fell in love with the little rugrat.

She wasn't finished. "Everyone, this is Edward." Bella's face flushed. Did she talk about me often?

"Hi, Edwooooord." That was cute, not going to lie.

"Lily." Bella said sternly. "Say 'Edward'."

"Ed!" Lilly said, bouncing up and down.

Bella shook her head. "No, Ed-"

I cut her off. "Ed is just fine, as long as it is picked up by any of you." Playful glare. I needed to win these people over.

Conversation flowed smoothly after that.

I could handle being Bella's friend, right?

Even if I wanted more.

Right?

**A/n- Edward, Edward, Edward. Everyone wants an Edward, right?**

**I think I've fallen in love with mine. Reviews are definitely encouraging!**

**Teaser for next chapter—**

_**The next couple of weeks went as follows:**_

_**Edward came over/I went over to his hotel, we hung out with my friends. We took my daughter to ice cream.**_

_**Why did it feel like I've known him forever when it had been less than a month?**_

_**Could I handle admitting to myself that he has become one of my best friends?**_


	7. Days 10 through 14

**A/n—I've been busy. But you can't complain. Because I've updated quickly AND I wrote a one-shot. Just so ya know ;). The next couple of chapters are going to be short. Just because I want to get them out there and get the story moving. So, on with the story :D. And this is nothing like the teaser I gave you. Don't flame. I just wanted to mix it up a little bit. And sorry, I posted the wrong thing before. This is the REAL chapter 7 :)**

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Chapter 7—Days 10 through 14

_Bella's point of view._

For four days, Edward and I would run into each other at the weirdest places. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I liked spending time with him. Even if it was for about ten minutes each time.

Each time he told me something different about himself.

The first day, he told me he'd slept with only one girl in his life. At my daughter's first grade graduation, nonetheless. I, of course thought that was probably a lie until he told me the following: "I made the mistake. I don't think it's right unless you actually love the person." I don't know what pushed him to tell me all these things. I told him I've never slept with anyone. Technically I wasn't lying.

The second day, he told me that his father was a hardass who wouldn't listen to anything anyone had to say. I told him my parents had died. He said, and I quote, "You know I'm always here for you to talk to, right?" That made my stomach flip. Yeah, yeah. I know. I shouldn't be letting him get to me.

The third day, we spent majority of the day in the same meetings. But he took me out for ice cream in a little 50's diner. It was sweet. He told me that his mother was never around and when she called, he ignored her phone calls. I told him "You shouldn't. She probably wants to make amends. Let her. You deserve something from her." I'm pretty sure that got to him.

Today, well we didn't see each other. I was feeling under the weather and didn't want to deal with meetings. But he texted me. It said:

_I missed your face at meetings today. Hope you are feeling better. –E_

I did a happy dance. Pathetic, I know.

I then told myself that I was going to tough it out tomorrow if I still felt like shit. I needed to see him.

* * *

_Edward's point of view_

I talked to my best bud on the phone a couple nights ago. Our conversation went kind of like this:

Me: I think I fucking like this girl. Shit.  
Him: Get her into bed.  
Me: Fuck you.  
Him: Okay, that might not work. Ask her out.  
Me: Too blunt. Maybe I'll get to know her.  
Him: Be her friend first? That's fucking pathetic, dude.  
Me: Yeah, I know. But it's perfect.  
He hung up after that.

And well, the past few days have been going just as I had wanted.

**A/n-Even though it's short, reviews are still encouraging. Please!**


	8. Day 15

**A/n—Be happy. Quick update. :D Not really much to say for this author's note. Reviews are great. As always.**

**I have song inspiration for this chapter—Fallin' For You by Dierks Bentley**

Chapter 8—Day 15  
_Edward's point of view._

I walked into the meeting room and was met with the gorgeous legs I missed yesterday. I swear Bella was going to be the death of me. Her skirt was knee length but God, her calves were something I could get used to seeing every day.

_It's probably from all that yoga…_

I mentally slapped myself. I wasn't going to start thinking about that in the middle of a meeting. She looked at me. I smirked. She blushed and it was sexy, to say the least.

I instantly wanted to take her on this table. _Maybe when she becomes executive of the company.._

My dick twitched. But I also shoved that thought out of my head. It's summer. She's just an intern. She won't get promoted that soon. I'll be gone by that time.

Or at least I hoped…

I pulled out of my thoughts when Jacob's voice boomed in the room. It was almost as bad as nails on a chalkboard. Almost, meaning so fucking close but nails on a chalkboard irks me just a little bit more. His voice, taking a VERY close second.

"We have some big plans for this summer." He winked at Bella. She blushed. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? He continued. "Black and Calhoun Industries are moving to a bigger building." He looked at me and glared a little bit. "And, without my better judgement, Mr. Calhoun wants to pitch a proposal to Mr. Cullen."

I raised one eyebrow. What the hell would they want from me?

Calhoun started talking. At least his voice was a little bit better than Jacob's. "Mr. Cullen. Please stand." Slowly, I rose from my chair. "We know that your father owns the business over in Chicago.."

I cut him off. "Exactly why it's called _Cullen_ Inc."

He ignored me and continued. "We've got some word that while you and your father run a great business, you just don't belong there." My eyes shot to Bella. "Your father irritates you, yes?" I nodded… fucking slightly. "Then Mr. Black here and I would like to offer you a permanent job here."

I didn't say anything for a moment. I mentioned that I hate Seattle, right? "Sorry, Mr. Calhoun and Jacob," Yeah, so it annoyed Jacob when someone didn't address him professionally in a situation like this. And yeah, I did it on purpose. "And excuse my language, but no. fucking. way."

I started toward the door. "You know, it'd be a good opportunity to expand your business a little bit." Jacob's voice was annoying. I ignored it and slammed the door.

When I got back to my hotel, my phone beeped three times—signaling a text message. I hoped to God that it wasn't Bella. I checked my phone. It was from Emmett.

So, since Emmett and Jasper and I met, we've become friends. And this trip to Seattle was turning into a lot more than I thought it ever would. And I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

_Ed, need to talk. –Em._

Okay…? I was curious, so I called him.

"Yo." He was stupid most of the time.

"What's up, Em?" I had to pretty much pry everything out of him. Bastard.

"Nothing." Really?

"Come on, Emmett. Seriously. What do you need to talk about?" I rolled my eyes because well, that's the only think I could do without him knowing my current irritation with him.

"I have good news." I stayed silent. I was tired of this game. "Jasper and I found you a girl that you'd be _totally_ interested in."

Unless it was Isabella Swan, I didn't think so. "What's her name?"

"Tanya." I 'hmmphed' into the phone. "Denali. Tanya Denali." He finished. Good.

"I don't know, Em. I'm not really into girls that have names that sound like a hooker AND a bimbo.." I let my statement trail off.

"You're only here for another two months, right? Why not make the best of it?" Two months is a long time…

"What if she gets attached?" The biggest question of all.

"She won't. Jasper was talking to her and he said she told him she was only looking for a quick hook up. He told her he knew someone perfect and may have accidentally given her your phone number." Wow. These two were idiots.

"Fine. I'll try her out. See what she's like and shit." I really didn't want to.

"Great! We told her you'd meet her at Equinox tonight." He hung up the phone.

Fuck my life.

So, here I was now, standing outside of Equinox, deciding whether or not I wanted to go inside. What's the worst that could happen, right?

She was supposed to be standing at the end of the bar closest to the door. The only person I saw there was a girl about 19 years old with blond…

_Oh fuck. Seriously?_

Was Emmett mentally challenged?

I walked up to the bar where she was and ordered a beer. I'd need about 50 to get me through tonight…

* * *

_Bella's point of view_

I had put in a good fucking word for Edward because well, Alice was talking to me last night.

She told me if I wanted something to happen between Edward and me—which don't get me wrong, I totally did—I'd need longer than the summer.

I now need to somehow convince Edward that he should stay in Seattle. Because he walked out of the fucking meeting.

I was in charge of throwing the big 4th of July party this year. Apparently it's the intern's job because they want to see the potential.

Right. Like this shows jack shit.

After today, I was given specific instructions not to invited Edward Cullen to the said party. You think I'm going to follow the rules? I'll just lie my ass off if someone catches him there.

When I opened the door to my apartment, my daughter, and Emmett were playing Monopoly on the floor.

I swear you'd think that Emmett was younger than my daughter. I barked out a laugh at the sight.

"While I have to say thank you for picking my daughter up from daycare, I can't say it with a straight face while you look at me like that." His face was concentrated, and a little bit pissed. Like he was mad I walked in on their game.

"Welcome." He cast his eyes downward at the board then back at me.

"By all means, don't stop playing because I'm home. I'll just make dinner." My daughter looked up at me then and smiled.

"Sghetti!" She got her appetite from Emmett and staying at his house with Rose for hours on end.. I swear.

I nodded my head. Yeah, I was a sucker for whatever my daughter wanted.

I made the spaghetti and by the time the noodles were done draining and I called Lily in the kitchen, they still weren't done with their game. And well I playfully stormed through the room. And me being Bella, I claimed it was an accident and I fell. Hah. Funny, right?

I was just glad that I let myself admit that I wanted something to happen between Edward and I, even if it was for the summer.

Throughout high school I always wanted a 'summer fling'. Better late than never, right?

**A/n- I know, not one of my best chapters. And reviews have slowed, a lot. I'm hoping I have at least one person who follows me. But, well, if not that's okay. This is for me. :).**

**So, well… Review?**


	9. Day 16

**A/n- I pinky promise, everything will eventually get explained.** **But I realized that I like doing the shorter chapters more often. Just because I feel I get to explain more. So, we'll see what happens :).  
Chapter inspiration – Blame it on the Rain**

Chapter 9—Day 16  
_Edward's point of view._

My head was pounding. I felt like shit. And well, there was a body laying next to me. Way to start a morning, right? Fuck, I didn't even know what day it was.

And who was sleeping next to me? I looked under the covers. _Blonde hair_. Not brown. Why?

I threw the covers off of me and was pleased to notice my pajama bottoms were in place. She was fully clothed. Nothing happened last night, right?

I rubbed my temples and ran my hands through my hair. I pulled at the ends. I was frustrated with myself. I never should have allowed Emmett to talk me into going out with this girl. Tanya, right? I was a douche bag, I know.

I walked into the pathetic excuse for a kitchen in the hotel room. The bright pink flowers on the wall told me it wasn't my grandfather who painted this room.

I pulled Advil from my suitcase and poured out three. I needed this headache to go away. I opened my phone and looked to see what time it was. 7:14. In the fucking morning. Why the hell was I up? Right as I set my phone down, it vibrated across the counter.

_Bella_ flashed across the screen a couple times. Then stopped. I was too chicken-shit to answer the phone. I let it go to voicemail.

I needed to grow a fucking pair of balls when it comes to her.

I decided now would be the best time to take a shower. And I was _really_ hoping that Tanya was out of the room by the time I was done. I couldn't even comprehend why I even bothered trying to hook up with her last night. Just as long as nothing happened…

Much to my surprise, she was gone. And well, I liked that.

Today, my plans were to hang out with Emmett. And a little bird, i.e. Jasper, told me that the girls were going to be over as well. Something about a monthly dinner?

Sounds fine to me. As long as I can sit next to Bella.

* * *

You know those tiny Barbie cars that kids get? Like the jeep and shit? Yeah, well, Emmett's driveway was currently being occupied with one of those pink, small pieces of shit. Of course I couldn't forget about Bella's child—man that was weird to say—driving the thing.

Oh, and I'd _never_ tell a child that her 'car' was a piece of shit.

But I digress.

Following everyone else's lead, I parked on the side of the road.

I didn't have a problem with children playing close to the street, as long as they were supervised. And little miss Lillian was not. _What the fuck?_

Lily looked up at me as my car honked from hitting the lock button. I didn't know why cars had to do that. It pissed me off.

"Ed!" She was excited. Yeah, it was cute. Not going to lie about it.

"Hey, Lil." Every time I called her that she giggled. And well, I know I've said it before, but I'm pretty sure I was in love with the child. In a non-pedophile-ish way. "Where's your mother?"

She shrugged. "Inside I think." Then her eyes lit up. "Hey! Do you know today is?" She was pulling at my pant leg.

"What is today, squirt?" I've picked up little nicknames for the kid. And my father said I wasn't good with children. What an ass, right?

"My birfday!" Her two front teeth were missing. So when she said 'birth' it sounded like 'birf.' I fucking laughed at that shit.

"Yeah?" I bent down to her level. "How old are you turning?"

She held up seven fingers. "Seven!" Her enthusiasm was great. And I smiled.

I reached into my pocket to get my wallet. I pulled out seven dollars. "Well then here. Here's seven dollars."

Her eyes got even bigger and she jumped out of the electric car. "Fank you!" Again, I knew it was supposed to be 'thank'.

I ruffled her hair. "Welcome. Now, let's go inside, shall we?"

She nodded and grabbed a hold of my hand. Cute? Sure. Creepy? Maybe. Did I care? No.

Once inside, we walked to the kitchen. I spotted Bella. Fucking sexy. As always. But today, she was wearing a red silk dress. And well, I wanted to run my hands all over it. Then rip it off and run my hands over her body.

I shook my head to myself, trying to dissipate the images.

"You know, it's not very smart to leave your child unattended outside." I was teasing. She knew it.

She smirked. "She's seven years old now. She knows the 'rape' song." She used air quotes. Fucking cute.

I looked at her incredulously. "The 'rape' song?" I mimicked her.

"Yeah, you know; 'Stop! Don't touch me there. This is my no-no square. R-a-p-e; get your penis out of me. H-a-n-d-s; get your hands off my chest." She recited the whole thing with the hand movements and everything. Her daughter clapped.

Bella bowed toward her daughter.

"You're fucking ridiculous." I shook my head. But, I was smiling. Because it was cute.

She snapped her fingers at me. "Hey! Watch your language around Lily."

I playfully saluted her. I went to the refrigerator to grab a beer. "Mmmm. Buttercream frosting on a cake?" I turned to look at Lil. "You're a little bit spoiled, huh?" I stuck my finger in the frosting and licked it. Bella slapped my hand with the towel. "Did you make this?"

She nodded. I was awe struck. That was the best fucking frosting I've had in my life. "Open a bakery, will ya? Serve this on every single pastry you make." It wasn't a suggestion. It was a fucking demand.

She laughed and shook her head. I was serious.

A girl who can bake a perfect cake? Well, I wasn't sure about the cake as a whole. But the frosting? That was like Jesus.

I went into the living room and sat down next to Emmett on the couch. They were playing Super Mario Brothers. On the Wii.

By the time it started getting dark outside, I was ready to leave. I liked these people. But, I can only stand being around people for a certain amount of time. Well, probably not Bella. But you know.

I stood up and stretched. When my hands were over my head, Lily poked my belly button. I tackled her lightly and started tickling her.

* * *

_Bella's point of view._

He's so damn good with Lillian. It's not fair. It only makes me like him that much more.

"Watchya starin at?" Rose's voice came from behind me in a whisper.

I pointed into the living room. Rose's eyes got all glassy and shit. "That's so fucking adorable." She mumbled.

"Yeah, I know. And the worst part? I don't want it to stop." I explained.

She shrugged. "Then don't let it."

That was easier said than done.

Edward stopped and caught my stare. He grinned and came over to me. "Like what you see?" He lifted an eyebrow.

_Yes. _"Eh." I didn't give a full answer. I didn't have the ability to speak.

"Fine." He put on a face of disappointment. He was kidding. But I felt bad.

I gave him a hug.

"Want me to be honest?" That was a rhetorical question. I knew he wanted me to be. I didn't let him answer. "Yes." It was almost incomprehensible. My voice was small.

I felt his chest moving from his chuckles. It could end up being enough to put me to sleep. If we were laying down. Naked.

"I should probably get going.." He let his sentence trail off.

"I'll walk you out." I grabbed my light jacket. He grabbed my hand. We didn't lace fingers. They were cupped. And it made my heart flutter.

We let the door close behind us.

Standing at his car was kind of awkward, to tell the truth. But it was a good awkward; if that's possible.

"So." I started. "There's this party that the company throws every 4th of July. I know it's a couple weeks away. But I wanted to let you know about it. So you didn't make any other plans."

He didn't say anything for a couple seconds. "I'm pretty sure that after what happened with them offering me the job, they won't allow me to be there."

I looked down at my hands. It was June. 60 degrees. But they were shaking. From nerves. "But I want you there." I looked into his eyes. I'm pretty sure I looked like I'd just seen a ghost. I've never confessed anything like that to anybody before.

He smiled. "Well, are you asking me to be your date?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Then yes." He took my face in his hands. He kissed my cheek. Then, ever so lightly, brushed his lips over mine. And I seriously mean lightly. It would _never_ count as a real kiss.

He opened his car door and got in. But before he closed the door, he spoke. "You still owe me a story about you." He slammed his car door and drove off.

A story? I thought back to our last 'date'.

Oh. Shit. The story about Lily.

**A/n- I hope some questions that you had were answered in this chapter. Please review. :).**


	10. Day 17

**A/n—Reviewers, you make me smile. Thank you so much for constructive criticism and all that jazz. :). This chapter just kind of came to me. So I hope you like it.  
****Chapter inspiration—Mama's Song by Carrie Underwood.**

Chapter 10—Day 17  
_Bella's Point of view._

I was driving. My little girl in the back seat and soft, classical music playing from the speakers. I was headed toward Forks, Washington. My home town. Where I grew up. I tried to visit old friends as often as possible. But it's been a few years.

The main reason I'm going today? I need to talk to my mother.

Yeah, I know it may seem weird considering the fact that she's dead. But I need to vent to her. I'll be talking to her grave. But I know she'll be able to hear me.

The drive was two hours. And Lily was asleep the whole time. It made it possible to think though. About Edward. How he acted with my child. I'd be lying if I said a small smile didn't appear on my face.

I looked out the front windshield. Even though it was barely visible through the pouring rain—not even an exaggeration—I read the sign as I passed it. _Welcome to Forks, Washington_. I could feel my heart squeeze. I missed it here… A little bit. _Population: 3,078._

That fact, right there, is why I didn't want to move back to Forks. Too small for me.

Nothing in this town had changed. The trees were still had long branches of dark green covering them. I could already smell the difference between Forks and Seattle. The fresh, open smell made my senses rejoice.

The speed limit changed to 30 and it felt too slow. I needed to get to the cemetery… now.

And when I realized I had stopped, I looked up. I was here. Finally.

I knew the way to my mother's and father's graves. With Lily holding on to my hand, we walked slowly through the rain. In my other hand, I held her purple Beauty and the Beast umbrella.

As we walked through the soaking grass, the bottoms of our jeans got a little bit wet.

I found their graves and a wave of relief washed over me. It felt good to be here.

I took the blanket that my daughter was holding and set it out in front of my mother's grave. I sat down on top of it and Lily say in my lap.

"Hi Mommy." The wind picked up a little bit then settled down. Call me crazy but I took that as a sign she was here and willing to listen. "I brought your granddaughter with me today. I'm sorry we haven't come to visit lately."

Lillian never had the chance to meet her grandparents. And thinking that made a small tear roll down my face.

"I just came to talk today. I have something to tell you." I felt silly. My daughter was holding the umbrella over the both of us now. And I was crying. These feelings just kept washing over me. I took a shaky breath. "I met someone." I smiled to myself. My daughter grinned. It's amazing how she knew, at the age of seven, who I was talking about.

"His name is Edward Anthony Cullen. His father owns Cullen Inc. over in Boston. But you probably already know that." The rain started lightening. "He's good, Momma." I reached out to touch the headstone. "He's even good with Lily." A strand of hair fell in my face and Lily pushed it away. "He's only in Seattle for the summer. Alice keeps pushing me to go out with him."

A little light of sun poked through the grey clouds covering the sky. "I have. But I don't know what to do. I know that at the end of summer he has to go back to Boston. I think…" I had to take a breath to continue. This was the first time I was going to admit this to anyone. Even myself. "I think he's _the one_."

More sun pushed through. I looked up into the sky and the clouds were disappearing. "I just need a sign. A sign that he's right for me. That it's okay to go after him." The rain had stopped completely now.

My daughter looked at me, a toothy grin. That was all the sign I needed. "Thank you, Mom." I stood up and grabbed the blanket off the grass. I kissed my palm and set it on the wet headstone. "I love you." I repeated the same process on my father's headstone as well.

As Lily and I started back toward the car, I felt better. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

I looked back over my shoulder and smiled. My mother knew exactly what to say… well in this case do… to make me feel better.

On the drive home, my mind wouldn't stop taking a turn to Edward.

Tomorrow—I was going to let myself admit to Edward, that I wanted him.

**A/n- Short chapter, I know. But, it's kind of just a filler. She needed to talk to her mother. There you have it.**

**Reviews still encourage me to write.**


	11. Day 18

**A/n—So I worked really hard on this chapter. OH! I have a one-shot. If you haven't yet, you should go read it.**

**Chapter inspiration—Eight Days A Week by The Beatles. And also I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles.**

Chapter 11—Day 18

_Edward's point of view_

My iPod was in my favor today. Majority of the songs played were by the Beatles. And yeah. They're my favorite.

My dad was being an ass last night. Here's how our conversation went;

Me: Hi, dad.  
Him: Edward.  
Me: How are you?  
Him: What the hell do you want?  
Me: To talk to my father.  
Him: He's busy.  
Me: Fine. I just thought I'd let you know that I found that I found the perfect girl.  
Him: Pussy.

After that I hung up. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him.

So here I am now, at the gym, trying to work off some anger that lingered there. God. Why did he have to be such a dick to me _all the time?_

I texted Bella first though. I told her I'd call in about an hour. Fuck if that wasn't long though.

Even though I worked my ass off during my workout; treadmill, elliptical, push-ups, the bike, weights—just to name a few—it wouldn't let me take my mind off of Bella. Her perfectly shaped lips. Her legs that went on, and on, and on. Her brown eyes that instantly sucked me in. The way her breasts filled out her shirts. I could only imagine what everything else held in store for me.

And well, I was currently sporting a hard-on. That was embarrassing.

I just walked out of the gym. The cold air helped. It made my erection less prominent. And, nonetheless, I called Bella.

"Edward." She breathed into the phone. It sounded like she was running. Or….

I didn't let my mind think that thought any longer. "Uh, hi, Bella." Wow. Smooth. I felt like an idiot. "I was wondering if you. Uh." Why the hell did I stumble over my stupid freaking words when I talked to her? I cleared my throat. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight?" It was more of a question. Not a statement.

And I, Edward fucking Cullen, don't second-guess myself. She was silent for a little bit. Then I could hear her smile through the phone. "Yeah, that'd be perfect. When and where?"

"I'll pick you up at eight. And it's a surprise." I was going to find the best restaurant in the city of Seattle. I didn't care if I had to pay a thousand dollars to get a seat. We were going to dine there.

She giggled. "Okay, Edward. See you then." And then the phone was silent. I needed to get to work.

I called around, even asked the hotel manager, which should be someone from my family but isn't, where to go. Majority of the people said _La Bella Italia_. So I was going to take their word for it.

And lucky for me, I didn't have to waste any money to get a seat. They had one opening left. At 9:10. Okay, so I had to think of something to do. For over an hour. I called Emmett.

"Dude, I need you to tell me what you did with Rosalie." He was being stubborn. I hated him right now.

"We were at my parents' house, man. We didn't do anything special. Wait, are you talking about the first time I banged her or when I asked her to marry me?" I rubbed my temples. He was no use.

"Whatever." I hung up and called Jasper.

"Can you help me?" I asked him. My voice was pleading.

"Sure. What's up?" He sounded so calm and collected. What was he taking and could he give me some of it?

"I'm talking Bella out to dinner tonight. The restaurant I chose couldn't get us seated until 9:10. I told her I'd pick her up at eight. I'm lost, dude." I felt like an idiot. But I wasn't someone who did this a lot.

"Take her to the park." It was blunt. And well, perfect. The park at dark was kind of scary though. Perfect. I smiled.

"Thanks, man. I'll do that." I hung up the phone and looked at the time on my watch. It was only 4:55. What was I supposed to do now?

Getting ready was a very time consuming thing. Not just because I wanted to look okay, but I made it take a while. My shower was twenty minutes and when I shaved; it took fifteen minutes.

I pulled on black jeans and a red button up shirt that had long sleeves. I tried to tame my hair, but there was no way that was going to happen. I brushed my teeth and I looked at the clock. 7:37. Better early than late.

* * *

_Bella's point of view._

He asked me out. Again. I didn't know where we were going. I called Alice. She was good at this.

She came over and picked out my clothes. A knee length, deep red cocktail dress and black flats. She didn't want me to kill myself and I thanked her, a billion times. I took a big breath and held it for a little bit. I was more nervous this time than the last.

I ran my fingers through my straightened hair—for the sixtieth time.

All the colors in my little apartment seemed to dim as the hands on the clock reached closer to eight. I don't know why.

There was a knock on the door. My breathing picked up and I slowly walked toward the door. As I gripped the silver knob, my hand slipped. I looked down and sure enough, a layer or sweat covered my hand and now the handle. I wiped my hand on my leg and tried again. It opened.

My breath caught in my lungs. I coughed a little bit as I took in the sight of Edward freaking Cullen standing in front of me.

It was kind of funny, might I admit. He was wearing a red button up, long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. His hands were tucked into this pockets, as if he were scared… or nervous? Cute. I smiled.

My breath finally caught up to me. "Hi." I said, lamely. _Of course._

A crooked smile. That I wanted to kiss. "Hello." His eyes were twinkling. He looked me up and down. To say the least, I wasn't thinking proper thoughts at the moment. Actually, I was thinking about stripping him from his clothes completely and letting my tongue caress each crevice of his body.

I slapped myself. Mentally, of course.

"Come on in." I offered. "I just need to grab a couple things and use the bathroom. Do you want something to drink?" I needed to keep myself busy so I didn't attack him. Yeah. It was hard. I gestured to the couch. "Have a seat if you please." My mind was everywhere. Why was I getting so nervous?

"No. I'll wait." He smiled and leaned up against the door. I turned away quickly. I walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

I sighed deeply and looked in the mirror. God, Alice was a genius. "Come on, Bella." I give myself peptalks. Is that such a bad thing? "You can do this. You've flirted before. You've been on a date with him." I shook my hands and flushed the toilet.

So I didn't really have to use the bathroom. I bet you've done the same exact thing.

Going along with it, I turned on the sink and washed my hands. They were sweaty anyways and I bet Edward wouldn't like that.

I grabbed my little clutch that held my ID and phone. I also had a little bit of money in it. Just in case.

I ran my fingers through my hair, one last time, I promise. It was a nervous habit that I needed to break. But whatever.

I digress.

And when I re-entered the living room, there Edward was. In the same stance I left him in. I giggled. That got his attention.

He cocked an eyebrow at me and I just shook my head.

Edward grabbed my hand—cupped, not laced—and opened the door for me. "By the way," he started, "you're dressed perfectly."

I blushed. No surprise, right? "Will you tell me where we're going?"

He shrugged. "The park." I had a feeling that wasn't all?

_The park?_ How was I dressed appropriately for that?

At first, the car ride was filled with awkward silences between small talk. Then, I started opening up and so did Edward and soon enough we were joking around with each other.

He asked most of the 'first date questions', although it was technically our second. And to my surprise—and glee—we had almost everything in common.

Favorite band? The Beatles. Favorite movie? Pirates of the Caribbean_._ Favorite book? Pride and Prejudice. Why he likes that book, I have no idea. But I guess that's good?

As we arrived the park, I saw Edward take a deep breath and sigh a little bit. So, I sighed. And he chuckled.

I went to reach for the handle but Edward's voice stopped me. "Don't. Let me get it." I stayed put; shocked as he got out and opened my door for me. After kicking it shut, he lightly grabbed my hand again and laced our fingers this time. And well, there goes the butterflies.

We started on the path and pretty much just followed wherever it led us to. Every once in a while, Edward would squeeze my hand, and being me, I squeezed back a little harder which caused him to squeeze back and we'd do that for a couple minutes. Then he'd ask me a question about myself. I'd answer truthfully and then get to ask him one.

"So, Bella." God. His voice made my panties wet. Not good. "What made you choose to live in Seattle?"

I looked down at our intertwined fingers and shrugged a little bit. "I had to get away from Forks. Too many bad memories. But, something compelled me not to leave the Olympic Peninsula. My parents died when I was eighteen. I think that's mostly what keeps me hanging around and not going somewhere else. I would hate leaving them."

He only nodded. "I'm sorry about your parents. It hasn't been that long and you're okay with talking about it. Shows you're strong. But you have considered living somewhere like New York, Chicago…" He trailed off, grinned and looked at me. "_Boston_?" He said, prominently.

"I have. When I was about eleven, it was my dream to be on Broadway. My mom brought me to this city to see Lion King on Broadway. I was determined to go to New York City and be one of those people. That all changed though. Mostly when I had Lily, and then my parents dying added to it. And it was too much to handle." Wow. I liked that I felt okay enough to tell him my whole life.

"I bet you have a wonderful voice." He squeezed my hand…again. "Now. I do believe you owe me one more story. You promised."

"I never promised anything." I said playfully. Well, I hadn't actually promised him I'd tell him about Lily. He pouted. "Fine." I stated.

"I had a rebellious streak when I first entered high school." That was how I always started this story. But I continued. "I never did drugs but I drank and partied a lot. I thought that was what high school was supposed to be about. Later did I realize that I was wrong. I remember this specific party vividly, up until the moment I was shoved onto a bed. It was my friend Jessica's birthday party. She was turned sixteen and it was a big deal with my group of friends." I took a big breath. "She had a DJ, a bar, her own bartender, and a hot tub the size of a hotel pool.

There were no parents, which is why we could get away with drinking. I was hanging out by the bar, ordering a gin and tonic. As I got my drink, this really 'banging' guy—those are the words we used back then, sorry—came up and started talking. We really hit it off. I thought that maybe he could be my first real boyfriend. I don't remember his name though. The more I think about it, I don't think he ever told me. I remember walking up stairs and kissing him a couple times. And then suddenly I was on a bed and I don't remember anything else." I paused for dramatic effect and for him to process everything.

I continued. "Three weeks later, after I had missed a period, Jessica and I got a pregnancy test for me to take. I took it and I swear those were the longest five minutes of my life. I looked down at the test and my breath caught in my throat. It read Pregnant. And I fell to her bathroom floor, sobbing. I wasn't ready to handle a child. Jessica mentioned abortion and I lashed out on her. I haven't talked to her since." I was kind of glad though. "My parents were really supportive throughout the pregnancy though. Then, two years later, they die. And well, I had to move. I couldn't take it anymore."

We were back at his car and he looked sympathetic. I tried to show no emotion through my little story. But I know every once in a while I'd get teary-eyed or angry. "Bella." He pulled me into a hug and rubbed his hands up and down my back. Gosh, he smelled good. "It's okay to cry, you know." I nodded. I really didn't need to.

Edward pulled apart and held my hand, fingers laced again. I loved it. He looked at his hand and his watch. "We missed our dinner reservations. They were for 9:10 and it's not 9:27."

I shook my head. "I don't care. This was perfect."

He grabbed by chin with this free hand and pulled my lips up to meet his. I brought our hands up and untangled them and lightly stroked his cheek as we kissed. He broke it first and had a big grin on his face. "I really, really, really like you, Isabella Marie Swan."

"Ditto." I stated. And then, we were headed back to my apartment to drop me off. "And next time, it's your turn to tell a story."

He smiled and nodded.

**A/n- Okay. This was fun to write. Although it took me a while. I'm sorry. I'll try not to make you wait as long again. I hope you liked it.**

**Reviews are encouraging.**


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